


Clitemnestra

by Vconstrictor



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/F, F/M, Harry Potter Next Generation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-11
Updated: 2019-04-11
Packaged: 2020-01-11 08:57:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18427283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vconstrictor/pseuds/Vconstrictor
Summary: After the horrors of the Second Wizard War, living in hiding in Australia with his new muggle family seemed, at least, irresponsible. But fate had planned happiness for him and happy he was for ten years... Until a rumour spread by a house elf evoke the ire of an important wizard family against him.Is the story about said conflict? Not as much as it is about the lives of this family of four: Ephigenia, June, Pumpkin and him, Severus Snape.





	1. Poster child

“MOM! June broke your favorite fan!” Her sister was yelling. It definitely wasn’t fair: Pumpkin herself stole their mother’s fan and was playing around with it, June was simply trying to claim and then return it. But that wasn’t bothering June as much as it should... “I’m telling you, mom!”

…what actually made her freeze in her spot was that she  _ fixed  _ it. She was staring at the fan, her heart racing, and it was fixed. A minute before it was torn in two irreparable pieces. The worst part of all of this was: her father saw it all. She got distracted when he arrived, probably to put the house in order, and she fell, pulling the fan away from Pumpkin’s hand. He surely had seen it, as soon as her sister went downstairs, the two broken pieces ran to meet each other like magnets. June could only speculate, though. She hasn’t looked at her father and couldn’t bring herself to do so. She knew what his face would be like already

“June…” she heard his calm and yet cautious voice calling and couldn’t help but look. She  _ did  _ knew. His face was paler than normal, his dark pupils freezed in his eyes. She felt so embarrassed, so guilty…

She ran the stairs as fast as she could. As she walked out the door, she could hear her mother: “ _ Young lady, don’t you d- _ ”, but she shut the door close and aimlessly restarted to run.

That wasn’t the first time. And it wasn’t the biggest mess she did either. When she was eight, her father was called to the Principal’s office. She was sitting there when he arrived, not really happy for being pulled out from work. The Principal himself couldn’t tell the facts objectively, so he spent thirty minutes narrating what he thought had happened, to which her father listened sitting stiff as a brick in his chair, growing paler and paler.

“ _ So… _ ” he started “ _ you call my wife, whom just spent twelve hours doing a shift at a hospital… You call her  _ **_six_ ** _ times and you take me away from my work to tell me that you  _ **_think_ ** _ that an eight years old somehow exploded a pipe. A pipe that conveniently is fixed now. All based in students rumors. _ ”

The Principal swallowed. ‘Exploded’ was, in fact, a huge exaggeration. She was just gossiping around with her friends in the girl’s bathroom, when one of them sat at the sink. An old pipe under it bent, water started to gush and splashed onto June’s uniform. Suddenly, it wasn’t gushing anymore. It was so quick that the girl wasn’t really sure it happened for a while. But looking at her father, not only she knew, but she knew he knew it as well.

He was good at putting up a facade, but the reaction was so familiar at this point…

To even think about it made tears roll down her cheeks. She looked at her surroundings, realizing her feet took her automatically to the playground nearby. There was nothing to be done except sitting on the swing. She reached for her cell phone, only then realizing she left it in her room.

June denied it with outrage everytime someone suggested she might be a bit of a daddy’s little girl, but true was that, for her, disappointing her father was a punishment all on its own.

Every. Single. Time. She has always made strange things happen and he always faked exasperation at others for lying to him. 

But this time,  _ this time _ , he saw it with his own two eyes. He couldn’t lie to himself anymore and June feared what he would do. What would he think of her? Would he still love her? 

He was such a stoic man, those were the only moments June could remember when he seemed…  _ Scared _ ? Was he scared of her?

The night was mighty dark, so June almost jumped from her sit when a shadow approached… until she recognized the silhouette. She lowered her gaze, staring at the ground, as the chains from the swing next to hers creaked.

Some solide minutes of silence went by, like he was choosing his words and that was news. Neil Johnson was the kind of man that always knew what to say, especially when it came to sharp comments. He was almost a caricature of the sarcastic, judgemental englishman. Eventually, he started:

“You know, it’s funny that I’m doing this again in a playground.”

“Doing… Doing what?” June asked, suppressing her tears and he laughed sadly in response. Pause.

“June, why did you ran away?”

She really didn’t knew how to answer and, the more she thought, the harder it was to face her father. She broke into sobbing.

He knelt before his daughter and held her hands in his.

“Why are you crying?”

“You were upset! Don’t lie, I know you were! You’re scared of me!”

Neil’s face melt in sadness.

“June, you actually believe I would be scared of you? I just…” He didn’t knew how to end the fraze. It was too much to tell in just one night. “I’m proud of you.”

“You’re just saying that so we can go back home.”

Tired, he looked around. There wasn’t much to work with, so he removed his wedding ring. Shocked, June watched as it suspended a few inches in the air and spinned lazily around itself.

“You…”

“You’re a witch. And I, as you may notice, am a wizard myself.” He putted back the ring and offered her his hand. “Let’s go home. We must talk to your mother and sister.”

  
  
  



	2. Slip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for an exceptionally poorly written chapter. I just don't know how to make it less lame, but it's an important one, so hold my hand and I'll make through it together with the blessings of God.  
> You ready? Ok, I promise the others are better.

She followed him quietly, clearly with a lot on her mind. That was good, because he had a lot to think himself. As they approached the house, he noticed the silhouette of his wife glued to the window. She must have noticed them too, since she eventually went away.

“We’re back.” He stated simply, entering the house, then turning to June, with a lower tone. “Wash your face and drink some water. We’ll be waiting at living room.” She nodded weakly and went upstairs.

Although June visually looked a lot like his mother, with her rosy cheeks, blond hair and chubby structure, behaviour wise she was much like him: reclusive and analytical, so maybe it was best to give her some space. 

Neil entered the living room and found Pumpkin watching TV, laying on the floor and his wife sitting in a chair. She gave him a worried look which he ignored, sitting next to her, his mind racing. How was he going to tell his family?

“Pumpkin.”

“Yes?”

“When your sister returns, I want you to turn off the TV.”

“Wha- Why? I didn’t do anything!” He gave her a severe look. “Ok, fine! Stupid sister.”

“Pumpkin!” This time was his wife to pull off a authoritarian tone.

Neil respected her: Ephigenia was determined, reasonable and always had the girls’ best interest in mind. They usually took decisions together and arguments rarely got heated.

But this, he knew, was  _ way  _ too much for her to take calmly and he couldn’t blame her, especially because she would probably have very little saying in the decisions to be taken afterwards.

He put his hand in his forehead, massaging his temples, letting out a frustrated groan. Ephigenia’s reassuring hand landed on his shoulder. 

“Are you alright in there?” She whispered.

He hesitated and then stood up.

“There’s something I must do. I’ll be back shortly after.”

 

Everyone was already at their places once he arrives. June was at the couch, apathetic as a ghost, Pumpkin turned off the TV, unsatisfied, and Ephigenia was visibly worried sick.

“Pumpkin, would you join your sister in the couch?” As she proceeded to do so, he placed the fan in the middle of the room and pulled something out of his long sleeves. Before the rest of family could figure out the object, he chanted “ _ Engorgio _ .”

The fan tripled its size. The two girls rapidly shifted their former moods to amusement, eyes growing wide. Ephigenia, though, looked notoriously unimpressed. The only thing that seemed to intrigue her was the reason to why he created so much suspense and tension just to show off a few tricks.

This blind skepticism enraged Neil.

But it was fine. He could do that all night, if that’s what took. After all, he did missed it. Not using magic for so many years felt like having his right hand tied to the back. He waved his wand once more, the giant fan, then, started doing a gracious dance in the air to finally shrink back to it’s normal size and lay at Ephigenia’s lap.

Pumpkin looked insanely excited and, to Neil’s biggest satisfaction, June’s eyes were sparkling in wonder. His wife, though, haven’t even glanced at the fan, she was busy staring at Neil dead in the eye. He couldn’t conceive how, in her mind, tripling the size of an object she knew so well was some kind of joke, but he kept his demonstration. Conjuring objects, shattering them, putting everything back together, it went on and on, when, finally, Ephigenia seemed to had suspended her disbelief.

He, with a grin in his lips, finally conjured a luxurious bouquet of flowers and insolently offered it to her, completely forgetting he was supposed to put her at ease. He drew back his wand.

“Wow, dad! That was so amazing!” Pumpkin practically yelled. “These were some sick tricks!”

“These are no tricks, Pumpkin. They’re actual magic. I can do them because I’m a wizard.” He makes a small pause. “As well as your sister.”

“A whaaaaaaaaaaaaat? Shut up, June, you’re a wizard?”

“A witch,” she answers timidly “yes, apparently.”

“And you never told me?”

“I-I didn’t known for sure.”

“But you did, didn’t you?” Ephigenia’s voice cut the air cold as ice, her eyes still locked up in Neil’s. “Come on, everyone is curious to why you haven’t told us before.”

He suddenly reminded himself that the situation was way too dire to taunt his wife like he did. He stared back at her and signed quickly at the girls with his eyes. Ephigenia took a long breath and tried to relax on her chair. Neil cautiously took his sit by her side and pondered: 

“In fact, it’s a valid question and the answers aren’t good. First thing you need to realise is: there is a statute. All wizarding community around the globe has sworn secrecy about magic. It is a crime to expose our world to outsiders.”

“Even to your own family?”

“No, Ephie, listen. A few years ago, in Europe, we were at war.”

The two girls gasped.

“There was… a man, if you can still call him such, that wished for all muggles, that is non magical people, and wizards and witches born to muggle families to vanquish. He gathered followers, initially from England, but then from all sort of places, some weren’t even human. He eventually took over our Ministry and defeated the greatest wizard of our time.” He pauses for a moment. “In this war… I was a spy.”

He could see, with the corner of his eyes, Ephigenia turning from mildly flushed to bright red.

“You’re kidding, right? My dad is a wizard spy?! That’s crazy!”

“Don’t be so excited. My cover was blown and I saw myself forced to leave everything in the middle of the battle. To them, I’m literally dead.”

“But, dad… Who won?” June finally spoke.

“Honestly, I don’t know. I have isolated myself completely in order to avoid being persecuted, I haven’t heard about the wizarding world in years. But I think it’s safe to assume that our side own. You see, this was back into 1998. Even if they didn’t knew about our existence, european muggles were under constant assault and their lives as they knew were at great risk. This doesn’t seem to be the case anymore.”

Ephigenia remembered it. Britain was chaotic back then and no political scientist, no economist, no politician seemed to be able to explain why so many attacks were happening at the same time. Weather was equally strange. 

She could remember it all because Neil told her that was the reason why he left in the first place.


	3. Thunderclouds

_ Ephigenia lighted a cigarette, but didn't brought it to her mouth. Instead, she kept inhaling the smoke, trying to satisfy herself. _

_ “You do realize you're still breathing toxic smoke.” _

_ “I know,” she couldn’t help but bounce her leg nervously “but I can’t just quit it all at once.” _

_ “You should. It’s easier than just keep a addiction you know you-” _

_ “You’re right. You’re right.” She repeated lowering her voice, talking more to herself than anything else. She putted down the cigarette and raised her head. “Very well, you still haven’t answered me.” _

_ They drowned once again at their tense silence of before. _

_ At the time, Ephigenia thought she knew for a fact what was going on his head. She dealt with many cases of parental abandonment during her internship and they all had the same excuses. _

_ “You are sure you’re keeping them?” _

_ “Yes.” _

_ “Are you completely sure they’re mine?” _

_ “Absolutely.” _

_ He stopped for a moment. _

_ “Then there’s no actual conflict here. If they’re mine, I’ll raise them.” _

_ Ephigenia was mildly shocked, but not for long. _

_“It’s a big decision, so there_ is _a conflict. I don’t want a man taking care of my baby out of duty._ I _’m doing it because_ I _want to. So should you.”_

_ “And so am I.” _

_ “You’re clearly not thinking this through.” _

“You _clearly don’t trust me, so why did you even bothered asking?”_

_ “Of course I don’t trust you! I barely know you!” _

_ “Then I’ll ask you again, why did you even bothered? Did you came here with the soul purpose of hearing me say that I’m going to abandon you pregnant?” _

_ “I…” She tucked her dyed hair behind her ear, untangling it from her piercing. She had nothing to say. She saw the possibility of he wanting the child as delusional. At the moment, she could admit she was being too pessimistic, but stood by her belief. _

_ “You  _ are _ taking this as a duty. Look at your choice of words. ‘If they’re mine, I’ll raise them’.”  _

_ “Fine, maybe I am. Does it matter?” _

_ “Yes, it does! Don’t you think our child will grow up believing they are a burden? An inconvenience you mercifully decided to deal with?”  _

_ “I would never-” _

_ “Then prove it. I'm not letting you into our lives until then.” _

_ “And I won’t leave you dealing with it on your own!” _

_ “I won’t be on my own. I have mom, my siblings… And Stephen already said he would be there as well.” _

**_“_ ** _ I won’t have  _ **_my_ ** _ child raised by another man!” _

_ “Fine! I don’t even need a man to raise them after all!” _

_ “Difficult woman.” _

_ “Loud and proud!” _

_ “And immature. And unreasonab-” _

_ Ephigenia stood on her feet. _

_ “I’ll be dead in my grave before I let you call me crazy for standing for myself.” _

_ A tense minute passed by, as they lowered their animosities. Ephigenia sits down again. _

_ “You’ll tell me now why you want this child. Or else, I’ll be gone by that door.” _

_ “You can’t forbid me to see my own offspring.” _

_ “This was never the point.” _

_ “Then what was it?” _

_ “I want to know if I can count on you. That's what this is about, I... Guess." _

_ “No one…” he started “No one, not you, not your mother, not  _ Stephen _ , can teach this child what I can. Ephigenia, I can’t leave them in a world that they don’t understand. Not knowing who they are, where to turn to. I want to be the person they’ll turn to.” _

_ She pounded. _

_ “Then… I guess we’re gonna be parents.” _

_ She opened her arms awkwardly and they shared a calm embrace. _

  
  
  


It’s been a few years since that conversation took place. It came to Ephigenia’s notice that he really did meant it. He was the parent she would never expect to find for her children. She thought she eventually came to understand his concerns about fatherhood: his father wasn’t exactly a good man and she had the unshakable feeling that Neil might have been physically abused.

Or at least she thought she understood.

She filled the glass with whiskey she took in the kitchen, as Neil putted the girls in bed.

_ “No one, not you, not your mother, not  _ Stephen _ , can teach this child what I can.” _

Magic _. _

She never forgot those words, they marked some sort of line. Before them, she felt like she was the only one that believed she could actually be happy with her decision. Her mother was desperate, her brother and sister were really judgemental, each in their own way, and Stephen… Well...

She found some strange comfort in these words, for this, she felt it was almost profane that she didn’t knew what they actually meant. He used such a vague language, she never could have guessed it… but then again, who could?

A part of her was hoping he would come through the door and say that it was just a prank, then manage to somehow explain everything he just did at the living room. But she knew he wasn't that kind of person.

She emptied the glass in a single shot. 

_ “I can’t leave this child in a world that they don’t understand. Not knowing who they are, where to turn to.” _

Then  _ why _ did he took so long to explain it to her?

She set still as the door opened.

“I apologize for taking so long, but the girls were really agitated. It took a while to calm them down.”

“They probably had a lot of questions.”

“And so do you, I suppose.”

“Yes,” she finally turned to him “the first is why you haven't told me before?

“I already said it's complicated-”

“No. Why didn't you let me know before dropping this bomb on the top of our heads?”

“You won't like it.”

“I already don't like it, Neil.”

“Severus.”

“Excuse me?”

“Severus Snape. That's my actual name.”

Silence for a moment.

“Fine, I should have had it coming.”

“Stop it. You know I didn't lie to hurt you. When I first gave you my name, you were just helping me as a social worker.”

“Ok. Let's say that is water under the bridge. You actively decided to be part of this family. That was your choice.”

“Who would teach June about magic?”

“I remember very well you saying some witches are born from non-magical parents. What would be the difference?”

“That seems to be the problem. Back in Britain we had a magical school that all could attend to. Some other countries have their own, most don't.”

“Let me guess, Australia has none.”

He shakes his head.

“Actually, I don’t know.”

“Oh, you don’t know.”

“The location of the magical schools is a mystery to anyone who doesn’t attend it.” He kept talking, unfazed. “Some schools don’t even have their names known, or the country they’re settled in, we only know there’s eleven of them.”

Ephigenia massaged her temples.

“That is so impractical, I can’t even conceive it. Why would you keep a school a secret?”

“Most of our buildings, often even houses, are hidden from muggle eyes. I can’t say for all countries, but Hogwarts school is one of the most important institutions in the british wizarding world.”

“I have to ask you.”

“Ask it, then.”

“Are you being chased?”

“If I am, then they’re not very successful, are they?”

“And who would it be  _ they _ ? The dark wizards?”

“No. The ones who fought it. Unfortunately, as a spy, I pretended way too well I sided with the Dark Lord. The only two men who knew about my change of heart are now dead.”

Ephigenia went bright red and Severus noticed immediately his poor choice of words.

“ _ Your… Change… Of… Heart _ ?”

“Yes.” 

She clearly was more furious than she had ever been during the entire night.

“You can doubt it. Everyone did, but I stand for myself: I’ve changed.”

“Look, Ne- Severus or wherever, I don’t care about what you think of me, if you think I’m some sort of inferior being-”

“Ephie!”

“Whoever!” Her voice was still low, but dangerous and firm. “Pumpkin,  _ your  _ daughter, might not be the perfect little witch you want her to be. And June, her mother is a ‘ _ muggle _ ’, how does that plays out for her?”

“I am a half-blood myself!”

“Listen to yourself! Muggles, half-bloods, even the terms you use sound horribly racist!”

“That’s what they are called, it’s beyond me to change.”

“They sound like racial slurs to me.”

“Yet they are not.”

“Then you have them?”

“What?”

“Racial slurs”.

He hesitates.

“Yes.”

“Like what?” It was easy to see that she was trying to pressure him.

“I won’t say that.”

“Do it. I want to know.”

“… Mudblood.”

“Please, tell me you never called anyone that.”

“It’s one of the biggest regrets of my life.”

They both pause the argument.

“We’ll talk tomorrow. I’ll take the girls to mom’s, come back and we finish this conversation then.”

“I can’t afford to wait that long.” 

“You’ll have to.”

“Now that I know for sure June is a witch, I have measurements to take. Also, your mother can’t know for now and you have to go with them to make sure they won’t end up saying anything while I’m gone.”

“Can’t you just, I don’t know, use some spell? To prevent them from talking?”

“We can make them swear an Unbreakable Vow,” he scoffed “but they might die if they disobey.”

“There must be another way.”

“Why can’t we just solve this right now?”

She signed with her head towards the door. Two silhouettes casted a shadow on the light coming from the corridor that passed under the closed door. He once again drown his wand.

“ _ Muffliato _ .”

“Can they still hear us?”

“No.”

“Good. What in the  **hell** are you thinking?” She wasn’t screaming, but just for her normal tone it was clear that she had been repressing a lot of anger. “‘ _ I have measurements to take _ ’, you are utterly crazy if you think I will trust you ever again especially to go on your own to do something that involves my daughter!”

“She is  **my** daughter as well!”

“And you had been a terrible father! You say you stayed because she needed guidance and what kind of guidance you’ve been giving anyone lately?”

“Ephie-”

“None! You waited for her to almost get to the point of panic to do something!”

“I did nothing yet!” He stood up. “I should be on my way of doing something, but I can’t because you can’t help but throw a temper tantrum!”

“I am 100% sure this is the only racional reaction towards being lied to for a decade!” She stood as well.

“This isn’t about you!”

“It never was! You put all of us in danger!”

“I’m trying to take us out of danger!” He finally yelled. Ephigenia stared at him, shocked. He lowered his voice. “At least the three of you. It might be too late for me.”

“What are the stakes?”

“I’ll go to Europe. If I’m wrong and the Dark Lord is alive, then I’m virtually dead.” Panic crossed his wife’s face. “I’ll find a way to warn you and you will take the children and run. But, honestly, I think the chances are minimal. As far as I know, the Dark Lord was defeated.” Ephigenia’s tension dissolved a little. “The biggest probability is that I end up in jail.”

“Why would the Dark Lord kill you? You said everyone believed you were on his side.”

“It’s a long story. I said my cover was blown, but I lied. The fact is that the Dark Lord tried to kill me while still believing I was his loyal servant. He just… To put it simply, thought I was a worthy sacrifice to obtain more power.”

Ephigenia was as pale as the moonlight crossing the room.

“He was- I can’t… What a mad man!”

“Indeed. But I escaped his attempt to kill me and, unless we’re really out of luck, we won’t have to deal with him.”

“But with jail.”

“Yes. And now, Ephie, I need you to look into my eyes.” She obeyed. “I’m likely to go on trial. I’ll reject this option, but if you are called to pay testimony, you’ll go against me. Please, listen.” He interrupted when saw her opening her mouth to protest. “I don’t know how you feel about me now, but if there is still any attachment, don’t show it on court. June might face less rejection if they believe that you don’t stand for a thing that I supposedly did and knew nothing, which is true. Can I count you to do that?”

No answer.

“Fine. I have yet another request for you. No matter how much the girls beg, no matter how much they cry, you can’t bring them to visit me.”

“Why?”

“Azkaban isn’t just any common muggle prison, Ephie. There are creatures that consume your mind, feed on your soul, torture you to the point of insanity. Presuming I won’t be sentenced to be killed by them, I don’t want June and Pumpkin there. I also don’t want them to see me as a moribund shell of my former self.”

“Why would you go there then? To Britain?”

“I want June to get proper education.”

“This is just silly! There must be another way! You… You told me you were a professor, can’t you teach her yourself?”

“Perhaps, yes. Not to brag, but I think I could do even better than many professors I already saw at that school. But it’s not only about the school, I want her to be able to enter the wizarding world, then what would it be the point of her learning magic? That’s where she belongs. It’s not her fault I’m her father, I’ll face the consequences of my decisions, and then maybe…”

“It can’t be.” Ephigenia started pacing around the room. “Can’t she just attend the school without you revealing yourself?”

“I was once Headmaster there. Trust me, if I ever show my face there, they’ll recognize me. I could however, use a potion to turn into someone else, we were once fooled by it for a year, but that crashes down from the moment Pumpkin shows any sign of magic. There is no denying the family resemblance.”

In fact, there wasn’t. Apart from the pale green eyes, Pumpkin was young Severus in a skirt.

“And if you just… never show up?”

“Then June is australian and so is you and all of your family and Hogwarts, a british school, has no business sending June a letter.”

Ephigenia was no longer pacing. She was staring at the ceiling, trying to keep her tears at bay.

“Do you think that, if given a chance, June wouldn’t choose her father over learning magic?”

“I know she’d choose me, that is why I’m not giving her the chance to. I know what is best for her and I’m certain that you’ll be a great mother, with or without me.” He took her hands in his. She then faced him, letting the tears flow.

“Have you no chance of winning this trial? At all?”

“A small chance, only two people knew about my true allegiance. One of them, the man I used to work for, surely took the secret to his grave.” He remembered the talking portrait, that even after the Headmaster’s death remained giving him orders, but he didn’t know how serious a painting would be taken in court and he didn’t wanted to give his wife false hopes. “The other was practically sentenced to death the moment I told him the true.”

“What do you mean?”

“I kept a secret about him, it still troubles me to this day. He had to die for the Dark Lord to be truly defeated. If he trusted me, if he believed I was at his side, he then turned himself in and died to save us all.”

A terrible feeling made a chill run up his spine. What if Potter didn’t trusted him? What if he didn’t gave himself in? The Dark Lord could be only lurking in the dark, as he did before, waiting for the next opportunity to rise again. 

He got a hold of himself once again. 

“ _ The Dark Mark _ .” He thought.

The tattoo in his forearm faded into a ugly scar and if that didn’t meant the Dark Lord was defeated, nothing else could.

_ “It also faded the last time. Not as much, but it did.” _

Severus shoved this thought in the back of his mind.

“My only chance to win this trial would be if he told someone the truth and said person survived the battle.”

But he knew the Potter kind well enough. If he ever had the time to tell anyone about Snape’s allegiance, he’d have to tell that he was meant for slaughter, and he wouldn’t do that. He wouldn’t have his friends trying to stop him or lamenting. He’d go on his own.

“You didn’t see him die, did you?”

“I was already fleeing the scene, but I can assure you: he is dead. If he’s not, then he didn’t trusted me, therefore, wouldn’t help me in court. And what’s worse, the Dark Lord would still be alive.”

“Isn’t there any other way?”

“You’ve been asking this question too many times tonight.”

“Of course I do!” She cried. “I don’t want to see you go to jail. I don’t want to see this family fall apart! What if Pumpkin resents June for you leaving? What if they resent magic? Do you think they’ll want to be part of a world that imprisoned their father? That they know was a good man?!”

“If you have to turn me into a villain for them to come in terms with it, so be it.”

“They aren’t stupid, Neil.”

“They are not, but ‘a good man’ isn’t exactly how I would describe myself. I have done things that you would expect from someone in a position like mine. I watched the Dark Lord murder innocent people. I mu-” He stopped himself. “There’s a reason why I could pass for one of his followers.”

“Won’t you miss them?”

“I will.”

She threw herself into his arms. He embraced her, sniffing the top of her head and gently kissing it.

“I have never in my life hated you so much!” Her cry was deafening at this point. She wanted to stay way, but he was the only one that could bring her some comfort at the moment. “I can’t even bring myself to look at you and I resent the day I let you in my life. How could you do this?”

“I’m sorry.” 

She spent solid ten minutes sobbing in his arms.

“I don’t know if I can ever forgive you.” But those were empty words. She knew it wasn’t his fault, he didn’t planned any of this, but she felt so devastated, she just wanted someone to attack. “With that said, please,  _ please _ , come back home. Do everything you can.” 

“I will.” She let go of him, standing straight and he dries her tears. “But my priority is keeping the three of you safe.”

“I am aware of that.”

He started packing a his luggage, giving her instructions and more information. When finished, he turned to her one last time.

“Goodbye, Ephie.”

With a last wave of his wand, he was gone.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, jk hasn't revealed the names of some of some schools, and I made it an in-universe thing, I don't know if it is tho.  
> Quick note: I had to make Severus' alias Neil Johnson as a homage to John Nettleship, the muggle version of our favorite professor.  
> Hope you enjoyed the chapter.


	4. Bad liar

“Mooom, have you seen my hairbrush?”

“I think June borrowed it, sweetie.” She then returns to the phone. “Yes, no, I’m sorry, we’ll take an hour or two to get there, the girls just woke up. Well, I tried, but I guess they were just too agitated. Also, mom…” Ephigenia gulps. “I wanted to spend the whole weekend over there with the girls. Oh, I didn’t kn- It’s fine, I can just sleep with her in our old room, or I can stay with you, in case she wants to sleep with Murph. No, no, Niel is… Elsewhere. I’ll tell you everything when I get there. Mom, mom, no, listen, I won’t do this over the phone, ok? Look, I still have to prepare lunch, get the girls ready… Thank you. Don’t tell Penelope anything yet, ok? If she asks, Neil went to England to resolve som- Yes, mom, he’s there.” She looked around impatiently. Her mother was famous for monopolizing conversations. “Ok, ok, fine. Bye, mom. Ok, **byeee** , mom!”

She hardly managed to contain the urge to press her own eyelids to avoid smudging the thick layer of makeup on it. Getting hold of herself, she puts her sunglasses on and leaves the room.

“June?” She asks, entering her room. “Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

“Have you decided where you wanna go?”

“I don’t know… But I feel like having chinese.”

“Then we’re having chinese. The best in town, how about that?” 

She kisses her daughter on the top of her head.

“Wow, mom,” Pumpkin exclaimed, stepping out off the bathroom “you look so fancy.”

“Well, I have to. After all, we’re celebrating your sister finding out her magic.”

“Can I go to Disneyland when I find out mine?”

“You can choose where to have lunch, Disney is off limits.”

“And if I never find out? Can I go, then?”

“Definitely not. If you get to June’s age and never show any magic, you choose how to celebrate it, but no Disney, ok?”

“Come on! June gets to go to a boarding school in Scotland and I can’t go to Disney?”

“Look, your father saved money to send  _ both  _ of you to Hogwarts. We can decide what to do with your share if you turn out not to be a witch, but it will be spent on your  _ education _ .”

“Laaaame. Can I get two Christmas presents instead of just one?”

“No. It’s not fair with your sister.”

“I’m not saying she shouldn’t get any, I’m just saying… She gets one gift and magic, I get two gifts and no magic.”

“Enough of that. Are you both set to go?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll check if you forgot anything. One more thing, grandma can’t know for now that you and Ne- your father are magical, so no wizarding talk around her, ok? Also, aunt Penelope, uncle Murth and Diane will be there as well.”

“Mom, is it true that dad’s name isn’t Neil?”

“That seems to be the case.”

“I'm so happy I'm not an  _ Johnson _ . It's so stupid. Mom, are we the Snapes now? It's so much cooler, sounds like snake. Look, I'm a sssnake, oh where’d my arms go? Just kidding, cause I'm a snake.”

“Pumpkin, you goof.” Ephie laughed.

“Severus also sounds more like him.” June finally joined the conversation. She looked even more introspective than usual. 

“Pumpkin, sweety, could you check real quick if I left that green pajamas your grandma gave you by the washing machine? I think she’ll like to see you wearing it tonight.” When Pumpkin leaves, Ephigenia turns to June. “What’s going on that little mind of yours?”

“Why isn’t dad here? Couldn’t he wait just a little longer to have lunch with us?”

“I’m afraid not, my dear. It won’t be long until you turn eleven, I think he wanted to have things in order by then.”

June reflects for a second.

“Then I don’t want to celebrate today. Can we, like, have a party -a small one- when he’s back? I could invite my friends to say goodbye before going to Scotland.” Ephigenia’s heart sank. She could tell June had an idea of what was going on. “He’s not coming back, is he?” 

“He might have some trouble in England, but he promised to be back as soon as possible.”

“It’s because he was a spy, isn’t it?” Tears rolled down her cheeks. “They think he’s a traitor, so he’ll never be back.”

“There is a big chance he can prove his innocence, sweetie. Don’t get too worried, ok?”

“But  _ you  _ are worried!”

“I’m… It’s not what you think. I’m just trying to figure things out. Whether we should all move to England, to be closer to you, and these sorts of things. I admit there’s a lot going on, but we’ll be fine, ok? Your dad will clear his name, you’ll get to learn magic, it’s gonna be great.”

“I wish I had gone with him.” She states, bitterly. “I’m not celebrating anything until he’s back.”

“Fine. I won’t be the one to force you. But I want you to know that maybe he would rather have you commemor-”

“But I didn’t said I wouldn’t, just that I’d wait for his arrival. Unless, of course, you are sure that he’s never coming back, but is hiding it from me.”

Ephigenia removed her sunglasses, revealing her puffy eyes, and held June’s hands with warm.

“Look, your father promised to keeps us updated about the situation. He warned me that it might come times where he won’t be able to use his cellphone, but he enchanted my marriage ring to hit up in case something bad happens. I know that all of this look too sudden, but he planned a lot of things ahead.” June surprisingly looked more calm. “And I also know that you feel, I guess, powerless, pushed aside... I can relate to that, but this is the time when we’ll wait and have faith in your father. It shouldn’t be so hard, he’s a really clever man, isn’t he?” June weakly agreed and Ephigenia put the glasses back on. “Now, change of plans, we’re having lunch at your grandma’s. We’re going to step by a grocery story first, so we’ll have to be quick if we want this lunch to be ready before 15h, okay? Chop chop, make sure you’re not forgetting anything, we’ll meet you by the car.”

Ephigenia left the room utterly ashamed of herself, given she never lied that bluntly to any of her children. The biggest lie weighing heavily in her finger.

It wasn’t that the ring would automatically hit up if there were  _ some  _ trouble, as much as it would warn her in a very specific scenario. She shrugged that thought.

She never met the said Dark Lord before and wasn’t excited to do so anytime soon.


	5. Blue moon

He thought he’d never be forced to go back to the Spinner’s end again, but there he was. The air felt even more sterile, with ominous smoke lurking above the city and the old house itself also looked more decrepit than he remembered, with an intriguing addition: someone sprayed across the walls words on the lines of “ _ FILTH TRAITOR _ ” and “ _ ROT _ ”. Some less kind. It was very interesting because he was almost sure that that was no ordinary ink. Apparently, he was missing out on the novelties of wizarding delinquency.

He could tell its unusual nature by the fact that a third person tried to erase the slurs by painting on top of them with quicklime. Lots of it. And yet, the letters kept shining through. There was no way of knowing who the offenders were, but he had an educated guess on who the third person was.

He looked towards a small window, across the street and two houses away, to check if there was any activity inside. After contemplating for while, Severus decided it would be counter-productive to reach after his old neighbor.

“ _ Alohomora. _ ” He whispered and went inside. There wasn’t much to be seen, since he brought most of his belongings with him to Hogwarts after becoming Headmaster. Still, being inside that place once more was a punch to the guts. Perhaps, the best way to deal with it would be to just be objective, so he headed to his old room.

There still were some things he left there  _ just in case _ , like some of his clothing, a clock, old jars, books and, of course, the portrait. Considering the possibility of having his cover blown, it was interesting to have a plan B. Maybe his assistance was still needed and, if he somehow managed to fake his dead, he’d have then a portrait back at Hogwarts, at the Headmaster’s office, and one at his own house.

He hadn’t felt particularly comfortable ordering a painting of himself, like he was  _ that  _ kind of moron, and considered one with Dumbledore instead to be more efficient, but truth was it would’ve been really compromising to have, per say, a Death Eater finding a picture of Dumbledore in his house.

He left it behind when on the run, just like he did with every other magical item he owned except for his wand.

But he surely was proud of pulling off the idea, it really came in handy now that he needed to know what had happened after the battle. He just had to open its hiding place and…

There was nothing there.

It was impossible. Someone stole it. Severus proceeded to scavenge the entire room, stormed through the rest of the house, looked for hours, summoned it, but nothing. It  _ was _ stolen. Was it the people who sprayed his house? Likely not, the house wasn’t vandalized on the inside. His neighbor? Also not, the hiding needed magic to be opened.

Someone was spying on the Headmaster’s office.

That was a disaster, and now he had lost his safest source of information.

He had alternatives in his mind, but all of them were infinitely more dangerous. Was it worth it? 

Ephigenia was back at Australia, possibly losing her mind and she would have to raise two potential witches by herself being a muggle.

And June. Those slurs on the wall. To think how much hostility he gained by just being on Slytherin, it crushed him to imagine how she would be treated for having him for a father. And he wouldn’t even be there to protect her.

Maybe it  _ would  _ be better to just homeschool her. She could enter the wizarding world later in her life as an adult…

If only he knew what happened during the battle… Then maybe he could sort things out. It was hard to think of priorities without knowing the consequences, the exact outcomes… Suddenly, he was feeling like throwing up, due to the mold, thilth and the overwhelming stress. Maybe he was getting too old. Maybe all this pressure came with parenthood.

_ Of course. _

He could risk reaching from someone of the Order and get immediately arrested, go for the Weasley boy or Granger, not knowing whether they were told the true, reveal himself to a former fellow Death Eater that would utterly despise seeing him alive and doing well…

_ Or, he could just look for Narcissa. _

_ She  _ was likely to be be alive.  _ She  _ owned him a favor. 

He put his life on the line for her son and she didn’t seemed satisfied with the reign of Voldemort, but, at same time, had always conformed to the traditional pure-blood mentality, so she should welcome him despite of what she thought he did. 

No matter what happened, Narcissa was, by far, the safest option, offering little to no risk. 

  
  


“You did  _ what _ , you incompetent little creep?” Narcissa stormed down the stairs, furious. “And you just let him in?”

A small elf followed in her master’s heel, almost getting stepped on.

“Milady, Wrinkly thought he was a friend of the family. And Wrinkly doesn’t like to gossip around, but I’ve heard that Sn-”

“Severus Snape is  _ dead _ , you fool!”

When entering the chamber, she spots a dark familiar figure sitting unbothered, facing her.

“Am I, Cissy? Now, this is no way to talk to a guest, let alone an old colleague.”

“Severus?” She whispered in disbelief, but returned very soon to her well-posed manners. “Wrinkly, bring our guest a bottle of wine.”

“Yes, milady.”

Narcissa sat down, appearing to be more relaxed, but Severus could see her right hand pulling her wand out of her left sleeve.

“Now, Severus. I have to ask, and I'm sure you'll find it to be reasonable: what spell was performed at your house in front of me at the only occasion I went there?”

“The Unbreakable Vow.”

“Who performed it?”

“Your beloved sister, Bellatrix.”

“What have you sworn to me?”

“To protect Draco and finish the task assigned to him by the Dark Lord.”

“By Merlin,” she gasped “how can it be? It really-”

“I can tell you just realized that the only one who could impersonate me would be Bellatrix.”

“Seems unlikely, since she died during the battle in 1998.” She pounders. “But then again, you returned from the grave yourself.”

“I'm sorry for your loss.” It was plain to see that he didn't, though.

“How did you do it?”

“Do you know the circumstances?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Then you know the reason why the Dark Lord tried to kill me. I was aware of his intentions and spent almost two years trying to brew a serum to shield myself from his snake.” 

That was a half lie. He didn’t knew Voldemort intended to murder him, at least not for that long, but Dumbledore did warned him that the Dark Lord would eventually fear for his pet and, if someone would try to kill the snake, he’d find a way to deliver them a cure.

The real irony there was that he never really got the serum made, not for lack of trying. What really saved him would immediately raise an eyebrow from Narcissa. It was Fawkes. 

Intriguing how hard work never seemed to compare to effortless luck.

The small elf returned with the wine, served them and was quickly dismissed by a very intrigued Narcissa. The wheels in her head seemed to be on fuel steam.

“So is that why you tolerated Wormtail in your house, despite him betraying that mudblood you had for a pet?” Apparently, Severus’ skills as a spy weren’t as rusty as he thought, since he was able to keep a straight facade while his blood boiled in his veins. “Honestly, Severus, after all those years, I thought you would think a little higher of yourself, no offense.”

“ _ After all those years _ .” The words echoed in his head.

Someone told her. And if something he told Potter somehow was known by her, most likely  _ everyone  _ knew. He  _ almost  _ wasn’t mad at Potter for sharing a little too much about his personal life.

He was free.

“How cunning of you, Cissy.” He knew there was a bigger game to play, but couldn’t resist to let slip a little bit of his anger after the mention of Lily. “Maybe you would have made a more competent Death Eater then you husband. No offense, of course.”

She took a sip of her glass.

“Don’t think I’m ungrateful for what you did, Severus. When I heard that the Dark Lord tried to murder you because you were the one to kill Dumbledore, I couldn’t sleep properly for months. I genuinely think you deserved better.” She rested her head in her hand, deeply troubled. “And so did Draco. After everything I’ve done for this family…” Severus hadn’t noticed until then that he was looking to a  _ really  _ poorly aged Narcissa. “It doesn’t matter. You probably didn’t came here to hear me ramble about myself. What brings you here, after all this time hiding?”

“How ironic would it be if I told you I need a small favor on behalf of my offspring?”

“You had children?” She then looks at his hand. “A single father, then?”

Severus had removed his marriage ring before leaving the Spinners End, putting it in a pocket. 

“Divorced.” He drinks from his own glass. “She wasn’t too satisfied to find out I am an half-blood  _ and _ a traitor.”

“What’s her name?”

“Clytemnestra.” He spoke automatically the first name that came into his head, immediately realizing the huge mistake he made by implying he married a pure-blood. “We met in Brazil after I went into hiding.”

The very few pure-blooded families in Brazil were famous for not only being really hostile towards muggleborns and half-bloods, but to miscegenation in general, to the point of some of them preventing their children to attend to CasteloBruxo. Very little was known about them by the general public, but that they had a soft spot for the european wizarding community. One of the very few announcements made by four of the most powerful families in the country was a open letter in support of Voldemort. 

“I knew brazilian purebloods were... reclusive, but this is absurd. She is rather gullible, isn’t she?”

“As a matter of fact, she is. The Dark Mark was enough to get her to believe me.”

“Didn’t she heard of you when you received your  _ post-mortem _ Order of Merlin?” 

Severus was caught out of guard, but couldn’t deny that it only felt right.

“The title is not as notorious outside of Britain as you might think.”

Narcisa didn’t seem to buy it entirely, but she didn’t had to. Now he knew he was completely safe. 

“Very well. How can I help you?”

“Did Lucius kept his job as Governor?”

“No,” she answered bitterly “of course he didn’t.”

“I can see you found yourselves a new elf… With your husband unemployed.”

“Draco works at the Ministry now, at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.”

“Good, that will do even better. I’ll ask you to send him a owl saying I’ll be there by tomorrow morning.”

“Wh- is it all?”

“Yes.”

“Should I really mention that it is you?”

“If you deem it to be reasonable, but it might cause unnecessary havoc. I just need a time on his schedule.” He stands up. “Cissy, I appreciate the wine and help you’re giving me, but I must go.”

Wrinkly accompanies him to the door, not before Narcissa says:

“I’m really glad you are alive.”

  
  


It was almost midnight, Ephigenia still couldn’t bring herself to sleep, even fully aware that she would have to wake up early for work, when the screen on her phone lightens.

_ “I still don’t know when I’ll be back, but I will. We’ll be fine.” _

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got so charmed by a quick fic I saw once on Tumblr about Severus having this lovely old lady as his neighbor I had to include it in this fic. I'm crazy looking for that post, if someone has it, please send it to me.

**Author's Note:**

> So, I kinda created these characters and scenarios for them, you know, taking my time, having fun. I hope you'll enjoy them as well.  
> English isn't my native language, so you'll forgive not only my grammar, but also my lack of style and ooc dialogue, I mean, Sev is the main character and he's known for his sharp tongue and extensive vocabulary. I'll fail a lot to reproduce his speech.


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